Stress waves in pyramids by photoelasticity

The propagation of stress waves in pyramids was studied photoelastically with the application of a laser-photomultiplier tube system and an internal polariscope for recording moving fringes. Dispersion and attenuation of stress waves were considered in a straight bar, a 5-deg pyramid, and a 20-deg pyramid made of Hysol 4290 epoxy plastic. In the straight bar and 5-deg pyramid, longitudinal waves propagate without any dispersion even though the waves attenuate as they progress down the models; in the 20-deg pyramid, however, the dispersion of the stress waves is quite significant. The distributions of the axial and radial stresses and the photoelastic fringe patterns obtained on the 20-deg pyramid show that the stress wave front is spherical with the maximum stress along the central axis of the pyramid. A one-dimensional theory of wave propagation without correction factors in a small-angle infinite cone compares well with the experimental results.